Have you ever encountered such a situation where you remember a person by face but failed to recall his name? Often times we find ourselves totally helpless simply because our mind is in sleep mode for a while when we need it to behave actively. So what are you going to do for that? Thinking to take NZT like Jake? Well, the good news is, you can still make your brain active by changing few habits.

Read along to find out how you may train your brain and remember more things than you do now.

1- Quit Smoking ASAP:

When I say to quit smoking ASAP, you might think of it as an impossible thing. But yes, quitting your smoking habit will help you gain a more active mind. A study conducted by University of Michigan researchers revealed that smokers have lower IQ levels in comparison to non-smoker participants. It may appear a stylish act to hold a cigarette in your hand while you talk to your friends but it slows down your ability to think the way you can.

2- Try Remembering Things:

Even if you have a weak memory, you still need to try this one. You need to give yourself little tasks of memorizing something from your routine activity or anything you get your hands on. Initially, it might appear exasperating but as you practice and create the habit of memorizing little things, you’ll see positive changes in your memory and brain power. This useful practice of sharpening your memory comes from renowned choreographer and author of the book ‘The Creative Habit’ Twyla Tharp who applied the same in her professional activities.

3- Acquire A New Skill:

Another effective way to improve your memory and brain is to acquire new skills whenever you can. Doing routine tasks, again and again, might reduce our brain’s ability but when we learn something new, our brain reacts in a different way. You may try learning a new language (how about the Chinese language you’re putting off from years?) or try any physical skill that you like. As you work on yourself to acquire that new knowledge, you’ll find out some changes in your mind and how it works in your favor.

4- Tweak Your Mind With Mobile Apps:

It’s true that we rely on technology in most of the things that affected our normal IQ level. As a matter of fact, our reliance on digital devices made us think less. So how about that if we change the way we use technology and use it in our favor? If you want to make your memory strong enough, you may use that smartphone you’re reading this post on. Yes, there are so many best brain training apps specifically developed to enhance your cognitive abilities and remember things efficiently. Offering different exercises to tweak your mind power, Elevate is a nice option to try. It offers different sets of training programs.

Another way to improve your mind power is by using BrainHQ mobile app allowing you so many tools to improve your memory. You may play games specifically designed to improve your mind. If you want to remember little but important information of various kinds, you should try Eidetic. The app is designed to help us memorize such information that we usually skip easily like dates, key figures from history vice versa.

One amusing way to sharpen your mind is by playing games, unlike solving exercises, on Lumosity. It offers you different games exclusively designed to train your mental muscles.

5- Try Something New Continuously:

Our brain works the way we want it, so in order to improve your memorization skills you need to train your mind a little bit. Think of a habit you dislike in yourself and compel your brain to do the opposite. It might appear a little hard initially but as you go along with it, you’ll achieve your objectives. For instance, if you’re the lazy person who doesn’t like to do much work. You simply need to keep telling yourself to do some more work. Try small and then go big as you get hold of previous work quantity.

6- Exercise for a Sharp Mind:

Here comes the very common tip you might get every now and then – Exercise. Okay, you have heard this tip already but now is the time to finally take action. The reason to exercise is it helps the brain create new neural connections that help you learn things fast and become more proactive. If you can’t manage a dedicated routine to hit the gym, you must find 20 minutes a day to work on your body that will improve your mind as well.

7- Be More Outgoing:

Talking does help you improve your memory. So try it and make this a routine to talk about something either with a friend or someone special on a daily basis. Studies show that people with outgoing attitudes have more active minds than those who behave reserved or anti-social.

8- Eat Wisely:

Try improving your memory by incorporating healthy choices . Eat delicious foods that contain proteins, and fiber to make your mind healthier. Nutritionists recommend eating fish as it contains EPA and DHA that is effective for mental health. You may even consider a vegetarian diet as red meat has been proven to slow you down. Don’t be too upset though, there are some treats – even dark chocolate is recommended for a healthy brain!

Try these tips and save yourself from the embarrassment of forgetting names or keys as you might be doing now.

————-

Muhammad Usman Siddiqui is a young entrepreneur aged 22 years from Pakistan. His studies (Petroleum Engineering) has no relation to innovation and future technologies but the passion keeps him in this field. Follow him on Twitter!